Tim Kaine on War & Peace

Democratic Senate Challenger; previously Governor

We ended war in Iraq and are ending Afghan war now

President Obama said he'd end the war in Iraq, and he has. He said he'd draw down troops in Afghanistan, and today every Virginia
National Guard unit is home for the first time in a decade. He said he'd go after bin Laden and take out al-Qaida. He did, and a SEAL team earned our nation's gratitude.

Source: 2012 Democratic National Convention speech
, Sep 4, 2012

Redefine War Powers to reflect realities of 21st century

As a member of the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, Tim has helped shape federal policy on issues impacting our nation's military and foreign policy.
Since June 2014, Tim has been the leading voice calling on Congress to debate and authorize the war against ISIL to show our troops, allies, and enemies that we're united in this fight.
While others claimed a bipartisan authorization wasn't within reach, Tim joined Republican Senator Jeff Flake to introduce a compromise proposal that has received support from both sides of the aisle.
Tim's long-term goal is for Congress to pass a rewrite of the 1973 War Powers Resolution to better reflect the realities of war in the 21st century.

Nuke deal with Iran is dramatic improvement over status quo

Tim co-authored the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to set up a constructive process for Congressional review of the final nuclear agreement with Iran,
a deal which Tim believes is a "dramatic improvement over the status quo" that will greatly improve global security.

Supported Obama's stopping the Iraq War

Allen. "Were you or were you not advocating for their agenda? And their agenda surely wasn't consistent with what's in the best interests of the people of
Virginia."

"Wiping out al-Qaeda?" Kaine responded "Stopping the Iraq War? Saving the auto industry? Is that not being consistent with Virginia's interests? I just see it a different way than you do, George."
The candidates were asked about conservative proposals to declare that life begins at conception. Kaine opposed this, explaining that it would not only outlaw abortion, but would outlaw contraception such as the birth control pill and intra-uterine
devices.

Allen said that defining life as beginning at conception would not outlaw contraception, as "contraception" means stopping conception--that is, preventing fertilization from taking place.

Afghanistan war was not a war of Obama's choosing

MICHAEL STEELE, RNC CHAIRMAN: Keep in mind, for our federal candidates, this is a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.

TIM KAINE, DNC CHAIRMAN: Those comments were outrageous to say that the Afghanistan war was a war of Obama's choosing, ignores 9/11, ignores
President Bush going to a bipartisan Congress and getting their support for going after the terrorists who did us harm, ignores the international coalition that joins with us. But in another way, as outrageous the statements are, they are also,
I think, a logical extensions of what the Republican Party's game plan is which was blame the president for anything and oppose him on everything.

Iraq was a wrong choice; Afghanistan was no choice

Q: What do you think of the Afghanistan policy?

KAINE: You look at Afghanistan much like you look at what the president has done in Iraq. The wars were for very different motives. I think the president was right that Iraq was a wrong choice and I applaud the way he has brought the troop strength down.
He has laid out a plan going forward that calls for a reduction of battle troop strength in Afghanistan beginning in 2011.
He has accomplished what he said would do in Iraq and I think the American people are going to see that he will accomplish what he said he would do in Afghanistan. [To say] that the Afghanistan war was a war of Obama's choosing ignores 9/11

Visited VA National Guard members in Green Zone in Baghdad

Tonight, thousands of Virginians are serving to keep us safe. Since 9/11, over 7,200 members of the Virginia National Guard have been activated at home and abroad to support the war against terror.

I was thrilled to welcome the 654th Military Police
Company--Virginia Guard troops from all over the Commonwealth--back from Iraq. I visited the 654th in the Green Zone in Baghdad in March and, as Commander in Chief of the Virginia Guard, expressed the gratitude of all Virginians for their service.

Source: 2007 State of the State address to Virginia Assembly
, Jan 10, 2007

Americans were given inaccurate information regarding Iraq

The president called again tonight for our commitment to win the war on terror and to support our troops. Every American embraces those goals. We can--we must--defeat those who attack and kill innocent people.

Our commitment to winning the war on terror
compels us to ask this question: Are the president’s policies the best way to win this war?

We now know that the American people were given inaccurate information about reasons for invading Iraq. We now know that our troops in Iraq were not given the
best body armor or the best intelligence. We now know the administration wants to cut tens of thousands of troops at the very time that we’re facing new and dangerous threats. And we now know that the administration wants to further reduce military and
veterans’ benefits. There’s a better way. Working together, we have to give our troops the tools they need to win the war on terror. And we can do it without sacrificing the liberty that we’ve sent our troops abroad to defend.